


Dear Friend

by LoveStiles



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Werewolves, F/M, Gentle Sex, I apologize for nothing, Love, M/M, Or maybe it already has, This story might make a good plot for a musical or a movie, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, With a few bumps along the way, not explicit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-16
Updated: 2015-10-21
Packaged: 2018-04-26 15:11:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,309
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5009509
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LoveStiles/pseuds/LoveStiles
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Stiles has a new job, working in a bookshop. And of all things, working with a grumpy manager, Derek Hale. Derek was on Stiles’ case constantly. Nothing that Stiles did pleased him. And he was very grumpy. And Stiles was very grumpy towards him in return.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Great Personality and a Real Gift of Gab

**Author's Note:**

> Setting:  
> The Constant Reader Bookshop in  
> Beacon Hills, California, a small city of 200,000 people near Berkeley.
> 
> Cast:  
> Stiles Stilinski, a new employee.  
> Derek Hale, manager of the bookshop.  
> Erica Reyes, a long time employee.  
> Vernon Boyd, a long time employee.  
> Matt Daehler, a newer employee.  
> Liam Dunbar, delivery and stock man.  
> Jackson Whittemore, owner of the bookshop.  
> Scott McCall, owner of the coffee shop next door.  
> Lydia Martin McCall, co-owner of the coffee shop and Scott’s wife.  
> Isaac Lahey, barista at the coffee shop.  
> Jordan Parrish  
> Mason Hewitt  
> Kate Argent Daehler  
> Mrs. Greenberg  
> 

Stiles Stilinki opened the door of the Constant Reader Bookshop and walked in confidently. He watched as a cute young man stocked a promotional table with stacks of a new novel. Stiles had never heard of the book or the author before, so he picked up a copy and skimmed it. It looked like a very good book. He noticed a tall, handsome dark haired man talking to another handsome man with blond hair, blue eyes, and freckles.  
“I don’t know, Jackson”, the dark haired man said. “It’s a new book that no one has heard of before. We should probably display it further back, and put a best seller up front.”  
“We need to feature it up front, Derek”, the blond haired man said. “I think that’s it’s a good book, and we can sell a lot of copies if we promote it right. I’ll make a bet with you. We can sell the first copy within an hour. Five bucks says I’m right. Deal?” He grinned.  
Derek grinned back.  
“Deal”, he replied. “I don’t think that we will sell a copy that fast.”  
“Trust me”, Jackson replied. “We will.”  
Stiles approached the two men.  
“Excuse me”, he said. “I’d like to apply for a job as a salesperson here. Who do I speak to?” Jackson nodded toward Derek.  
“That’s him”, he said. “Our manager, Derek Hale.”  
“Thank you”, Stiles said. “Mr. Hale, I’d like to fill out an application…..”  
“Not necessary”, Derek said gruffly. “We don’t have any positions open at this time.”  
He turned and walked back to the information desk.  
Stiles stood for moment with a shocked look on his face. Then it changed to a determined look.  
“I’ll bet that I could sell more books in one hour than you can sell in one day, Mr. Grumpy Pants!”, he muttered quietly. Jackson had been watching the conversation between Stiles and Derek, and he approached Stiles.  
“Do you really think that you could?”, he asked. “I mean, sell books.”  
“You bet I can!”, Stiles said with a confident smile. “Just watch The Great Stilinski in action!”  
A middle aged woman entered the bookshop and Stiles went up to her.  
“May I help you, ma’am?”, he asked.  
“Yes, thank you young man”, she replied. “I’m looking for a book to read. Something entertaining.” Stiles smiled at her.  
“I have just the book for you ma’am”, he said. “It’s a new novel by a brilliant young author. It’s quite entertaining and very readable.” He reached over to the promotional table that the stock man had been stocking earlier.  
“And here it is!” he said, handing the book to her.  
“Hmm”, she said as she read the title out loud. “I Am the Wolf by Genim O’Brien.” She looked at the cover. “What’s it about?”, she asked.  
“It’s a love and adventure story set in a fantasy land”, Stiles replied. “It’s about a young werewolf who falls in love with a young wizard. They are both knights of the king. And together they battle the forces of an evil wizard. It’s a very romantic and exciting story. You know how popular stories about supernatural beings like werewolves and wizards are now, don’t you?” He smiled brightly at her.  
“Yes”, she said. “I love the Harry Potter books. And The Lord of The Rings, too! Is this book as good as they are?”  
“Yes, ma’am”, Stiles replied. “This book is every bit as good as those books are. And it’s sure to become a best seller. Imagine telling your friends that you bought and read it before they even knew about it! They’ll all be green with envy!”  
“Well, young man, you’ve convinced me”, she said. “I’ll buy it.”  
“Wonderful!”, Stiles replied. “I’m sure that you’ll enjoy it. Now let me take you over to our cashier.” He led her over to the cashier’s desk. After she paid for the book, she turned to Stiles and smiled.  
“Thank you for your help, young man”, she said. “I appreciate your friendliness and your courtesy. Goodbye.” She spotted Jackson standing near the door. “And goodbye, Mr. Whittemore. Thank you as well!”  
“Thank you, Mrs. Greenberg. Goodbye”, Jackson said.  
Jackson was impressed.  
“Well done!”, he said. “Mrs. Greenberg is usually a very difficult sale to make.” He smiled at Stiles.  
“You’ve got a great personality and a real gift of gab”, he said. “You’re hired!” Stiles looked puzzled.  
“But the manager said that there were no jobs available”, he replied.  
“But I say that there are”, Jackson said. He smiled. “Allow me to introduce myself. I’m Jackson Whittemore, the owner of the bookshop. And you’re hired, Mr. Stilinski. Are you related to the sheriff?”  
“He’s my dad”, Stiles replied.  
“That’s great”, Jackson said. “What’s your first name?” Stiles grinned.  
“Stiles”, he replied. “And thank you for hiring me, Mr. Whittemore.”  
“No thanks are necessary”, Jackson replied. “I believe that you will turn out to be one of our best salespeople. And call me Jackson. Everybody does.”  
“Ok, Jackson”, Stiles said. “How soon can I start?”  
“Right now, if you want”, Jackson replied.  
“I want”, Stiles said.  
“Then let’s go fill out that employment application”, Jackson replied. “It’s only a formality. You’ve got the job already.” They walked back to the information desk. Derek was glaring at them as they approached him.  
“Derek, Stiles is going to fill out an employment application. After which he will be hired”, Jackson said. “Understand?“ Derek scowled.  
“Of course, Mr. Whittemore”, he said in an unhappy tone. “Anything you say, sir.”  
“Good”, Jackson replied with a mischievous grin. “Welcome to our family, Stiles.”  
“Thank you, Jackson”, Stiles replied. Jackson turned back to Derek.  
“And by the way, Derek”, he said, “you owe me five bucks!” He grinned again as he walked away. Derek looked at Jackson with a scowl on his face.  
Stiles turned to Derek.  
“Well, I guess I need to fill out that application, Mr. Hale”, he said with a grin.

After Stiles had filled out the application, Derek took him over to meet a pretty blonde girl with a big smile on her face.  
“Stiles, this is Erica Reyes”, Derek said. “Erica, this is Stiles Stilinski, our new salesperson. Introduce him to everyone and show him the ropes.”  
“Sure thing, Derek”, Erica replied. As Derek walked away, Stiles spoke to him.  
“Thank you, Mr. Hale”, he said. “I look forward to working with you.” Derek froze for a moment. Without turning around, he replied to Stiles.  
“You’re welcome”, he said. “I look forward…..as well.” He started walking again then stopped.  
“And you can call me Derek”, he said. “Stiles.”  
“Thank you, Derek”, Stiles replied. Derek walked quickly into the stockroom. He leaned against the wall to catch his breath. His heart was pounding in his chest.  
“Stiles”, he whispered. “Stiles.”

Erica grinned. “Hi, Stiles”, she said. “You sure upset the apple cart today!” Her eyes sparkled mischievously. “I loved every minute of it!” Stiles grinned in return.  
“Hi, Erica”, he said. “I’m afraid that I upset Derek without meaning to. Although, he was very rude to me when I asked him about a job.”  
“Derek’s just an old grump”, Erica replied. “I’ve found it best to just ignore his sour moods.” Stiles laughed.  
“I’ll try to do that”, he said.  
“Have you ever sold books before, Stiles?”, Erica asked.  
“No”, Stiles replied. “But I’ve sold a lot of other things. Menswear at a department store. L.P.s at a used record store. And I worked for my friends Scott and Lydia as a barista at their coffee shop a couple of years ago.”  
“Scott and Lydia? At The Coffee Klatch?”, Erica asked. “That’s right next door. I love that place!” Stiles grinned.  
“We’ll have to have our coffee breaks there every day, then!”, he said.  
“Sounds good to me!”, Erica replied. “Come on, Stiles. I’ll introduce you to everybody. Then I’ll give you some pointers on how to be a good book salesperson.”

Erica introduced Stiles to the other employees of the bookshop. There was Vernon ‘Boyd’ Boyd, salesperson, a tall, handsome young black man. He seemed very quiet and shy, and very friendly. Stiles noticed how Boyd glanced at Erica in a worshipful way. Then Stiles met Liam Dunbar, the delivery and stock man. He was eighteen, just out of high school. Very cute, blond, blue eyes, with a very sweet nature. And lastly, Stiles met Matt Daehler, salesperson. He seemed friendly enough, but in a self satisfied, smarmy sort of way. Something about him bothered Stiles. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but Matt made him feel uncomfortable.

Stiles went home that night, and before he fell asleep, he looked up at the ceiling and remembered a handsome face and a gorgeous body.  
“Derek”, he murmured. “Derek.”

Stiles loved working at the bookshop. He loved selling books and he loved his customers. Jackson and Derek noticed that there were more customers coming in and that sales had increased noticeably. Everyone liked Stiles, the customers and the other employees as well. They were all drawn to his friendliness and his sunny personality. He became friends with all of the other employees except Matt, who was distant to everybody except Erica. And Stiles and Erica became best buddies. They took all of their coffee breaks and lunches together. She told him that she was dating Matt. And he told her about his past bad relationships with two different selfish, conceited, cheating guys.  
“Sometimes I think that I’ll never find a nice guy who will love me unselfishly”, he told her.  
“Don’t worry, Stiles”, she told him. “The right guy for you is out there somewhere. Just keep looking for him and don’t give up!”  
Yes, everyone liked Stiles. Everyone, it would seem, except Derek. Nothing Stiles did seemed to please him. He was still gruff and grumpy towards Stiles. And Stiles was grumpy towards him in return. Which was disappointing. Because secretly, Stiles was very attracted to Derek. And secretly, Derek was very attracted to Stiles. But neither one knew how the other one felt about him. So they both went on being grumpy with each other.

Erica told Stiles that she was having an affair with Matt, and that she was starting to fall in love with him. Stiles warned her to go slow and to be careful. He didn’t trust Matt, and was worried that Erica might get hurt. He didn’t know it yet, but he had reason to worry.

Jackson’s last boyfriend had been a heartless gold digger, and had hurt Jackson very much. Jackson hadn’t been looking for anyone else, because his heart had been broken so badly. Then little Liam had come to work at the bookshop. And Jackson was smitten. It wasn’t only Liam’s cute face and body that captivated Jackson. It was his sweet nature. Liam was a loving, giving, unselfish person. And Jackson had fallen in love with him. But he was afraid to tell Liam how he felt about him. He was twenty eight and Liam was eighteen. Jackson didn’t want to scare Liam off. And he didn’t think that Liam felt the same way about him that he felt about Liam. So Jackson didn’t say anything to Liam about how he felt. He kept his feelings to himself, and cried himself to sleep every night.

Stiles was excited about something. He told Erica that he had found an internet dating site, and that he was emailing someone who called himself ‘Dear Friend’. He hadn’t met the man yet, and didn’t know his real name, so he asked her not to tell anyone about it yet.  
Derek was also excited about something. He told Boyd that he had found an internet dating site, and that he was emailing someone who called himself ‘Dear Friend’. He hadn’t met the man yet, and didn’t know his real name, so he asked him not to tell anyone about it yet.

The people who work at The Constant Reader Bookshop are about to experience the joy of love and it’s occasional pain as well. Love with someone who will lift you up to the sky and fill your heart with joy. And love with someone who will plunge you down to the earth and break your heart into a million pieces. And love with someone that you never suspected would ever return your love.

 

(Next chapter: Three Dates)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ‘Constant Reader’ was the moniker adopted by Dorothy Parker when she wrote book reviews for the New Yorker in the 1920’s and 1930’s.
> 
> I know that Liam isn't blond in the show. But I just felt like making him blond in my story. I like the idea of him being blond.


	2. Three Dates

For the next two weeks, things went along normally at The Constant Reader bookshop. Jackson and Liam were still hiding their feelings from each other. Erica and Matt’s love affair was becoming serious, and Stiles was the only person who knew about them. And Derek and Stiles were still grumpy with each other. Derek would criticize Stiles for no reason at all, and Stiles would snap back at him. Then they would bicker until they weren’t talking to each other for the rest of the day. The other employees observed their bickering, and Boyd explained to Liam that they argued because they unknowingly liked each other very much. Liam naively suggested that they tell Stiles and Derek this, and Boyd replied that they would never believe it.

Jackson finally found the courage to ask Liam out on a date. Liam accepted cautiously, and they went to a movie together. After the movie, they had burgers and fries together.  
“Did you like the movie?”, Jackson asked Liam.  
“Yes”, Liam replied. “It was very good.”  
They talked about the bookshop and about Liam’s life history. Jackson told Liam something about his own life. They were both still very tentative and apprehensive around each other. Jackson took Liam home and they stood looking at each other in front of the apartment door.  
“I had a good time”, Liam said, his big blue eyes looking up at Jackson.  
“I had a good time, too”, Jackson replied. “We should do this again.”  
“Yeah”, Liam said. “We should.” There was an awkward moment. Then Jackson hugged Liam and kissed his forehead.  
“Yeah”, Liam said happily. “We definitely should do this again!” Jackson smiled and gave Liam a chaste peck on the lips.  
“Definitely!”, Jackson replied. “See you tomorrow.”

Erica and Matt had gone to dinner together. Afterwards, they had returned to her apartment, where they had spent the night together and had made love all night. Matt told Erica that she was the only one for him, and Erica was up in the clouds with happiness. But her happiness was to be short lived. The next day at work, there was a commotion at the front door. A woman was screaming that she wanted to see Erica. Derek was trying to get her out of the bookshop, but she broke free and stormed over to the area that Erica was working in.  
‘Are you the bitch that’s been sleeping with my husband?’, the woman screamed angrily.  
“What?”, Erica replied. “Who the hell are you?”  
“I’m Matt Daehler’s wife, that’s who!”, the woman replied. Erica turned pale and grabbed a book table for support.  
“Oh, my god!”, she gasped. “It can’t be true!” Matt came running over, followed by Stiles, Boyd, Derek, and Jackson.  
“Kate!”, Matt said. “What are you doing here? I told you never to come into the bookshop.” By this time, Stiles and Boyd were holding Erica up from both sides.  
“Is it true, Matt?”, Erica asked. “Is this your wife?” Matt shrugged his shoulders.  
‘Yeah”, he said with a smirk. “What of it?” Kate sneered at Erica.  
“It’s true alright”, she said. “I’m Mrs. Kate Argent Daehler.” She gestured toward Erica.  
“So this is the little whore that you spent last night with”, she said to Matt. She grinned evilly at Erica.  
“Matt’s a liar and a cheat, you know”, she continued. “You’re not the only little tart that he has hidden away. He has another slut on the other side of town.”  
“THAT‘S ENOUGH!”, Derek roared. He turned to Kate with anger erupting from every pore of his body. “You shut your ugly, filthy mouth and get the hell out of this bookshop. AND I MEAN RIGHT THIS MINUTE! You have exactly thirty seconds to get your skanky butt out of here before I call the police and have you arrested!” Kate sneered at Derek and turned on her heel. As she headed out the door, she called back to Matt.  
“Matt, I’ll be waiting outside for you. And you’d better not keep me waiting too long if you know what’s good for you.” Matt turned to follow her, but was stopped by Derek.  
“Before you go Matt, I have something to tell you”, Derek said. “You’re fired.” Matt shrugged his shoulders again. Then he was stopped by Jackson.  
“I want the pleasure of repeating that, Matt”, Jackson said. “You’re fired. Now get the hell out of my bookshop. I never want to see you in here again. I’ll mail you your final paycheck”. He paused. “GET OUT!”, he said. Matt smirked at everybody again. Then he turned and walked out the door.  
Erica was shaking and sobbing uncontrollably. Stiles and Boyd helped her to Jackson’s office and seated her in his big easy chair. The others stood outside the door. Derek was still fuming and Jackson’s eyes were snapping in anger at Matt. Sweet little Liam was crying, and Jackson put his arm around him.  
“Shh, baby”, Jackson whispered. “It’ll be alright. We’ll take care of Erica.”  
Erica was devastated. She was still shaking and crying.  
“He lied to me”, she said. “I was in love with him, and he lied to me. I didn’t know that he was married. I didn’t know that he had other girlfriends. I didn’t know.”  
Stiles was holding one of Erica’s hands. He was angry. The others had never seen him angry before.  
“Where is he?”, Stiles asked. “I’ll kill him with my bare hands.”  
“He’s gone”, Derek said. “For good.” Erica looked at everybody with a tear stained face.  
‘Those things that she said about me”, Erica said. “Those horrible things.”  
“We all know that they’re not true, Erica”, Stiles said. “You’re a good person. She’s just a hate filled, spiteful woman.” The others all agreed.  
“We know that they’re not true Erica” everybody said. "We know that you’re a good person.”  
Boyd was holding Erica’s other hand. He leaned down on his knees and raised her chin. He looked deeply into her eyes.  
“Don’t pay any attention to that crazy old bat, Erica”, he said. “Listen to me. You are the most wonderful girl in the world. The sweetest, the nicest, and the kindest girl. And you are so smart. And so beautiful. I think that you are the most beautiful girl that I have ever seen. And any man in the world would be honored to have you for his girlfriend.” He spoke softly. “I know that I would be honored if you were my girlfriend.” He smiled a sweet, gentle smile at her. Erica wiped her eyes.  
“You would, Boyd?”, she asked. “Really?”  
“Really”, Boyd replied. “If you ever wanted to. I’d be honored. And happy.” Erica smiled back at Boyd.  
“Thank you, Boyd”, she said. “Thank you.” Jackson spoke up.  
“Erica, I want you to take the rest of the day off”, he said. “You need to go home and rest. And if you need to, take tomorrow off as well.”  
“Are you sure, Jackson?”, Erica asked.  
“I’m sure”, Jackson replied. “Boyd, I think that you should go with her and make sure that she gets home alright.”  
“Sure, Jackson”, Boyd said. “I’ll be glad to do that.” As Erica got up and left, everybody hugged her.  
“Call me later”, Stiles told her. “Promise me that you will.”  
“I will”, she said. “Thank you, Stiles. Thank you, everybody. I love all of you so much!”  
“We love you, Erica”, everybody said. Stiles hugged Erica again.  
“I love you, Catwoman”, he said.  
“I love you, Batman”, she replied. Boyd put his arm around her shoulders and escorted her out of the bookshop. Jackson smiled ruefully.  
“I don’t believe that I’ve heard Boyd say that many words at once in the three years that he’s worked here”, Jackson said.

The next day Erica stayed home. She phoned Stiles and told him that she would be alright, in time, but that she just needed another day to rest. He told her that he would stop by that night and check on her. Boyd told everyone that he thought that Erica would be ok. He said that she had stopped crying and seemed to be feeling a little bit better by the time he got her home.  
“She told me that she wanted to be my friend”, Boyd told Stiles. “That’s ok with me, if that’s what she wants.”  
“Be patient”, Stiles replied. “Give her some time. I have a feeling that she will want to become more to you after she gets to know you better.”

That night Stiles phoned Erica before he came over to see her. He brought Chinese take out and they ate it as they watched tv. They cuddled together on the sofa until it was time for Stiles to go home. As Stiles was leaving, they hugged.  
“I’ll be back to work tomorrow”, Erica said.  
“Are you sure you feel up to it?”, Stiles asked. “I’m sure that Derek and Jackson would give you some more time off if you need it.”  
“No”, Erica replied. “I need to get back to work. I need to feel useful. I don’t want to just sit here in my apartment feeling depressed. I need to get my mind off of it.”  
“Ok”, Stiles said. “If you’re sure.”  
“I’m sure”, Erica said. She kissed Stiles on the cheek.  
“Thank you Stiles”, she said. “Thank you for being my friend.” Stiles kissed her on the cheek.  
“Thank you for being my friend, as well”, he said. “What would Batman do without Catwoman?” They both grinned and hugged again.  
“Goodnight, Erica”, Stiles said.  
“Goodnight, Stiles”, Erica replied.

Erica came back to work the next day. Outwardly, she seemed to be her old self again, but Stiles could see the sadness behind her façade. But luckily, she had a whole bookshop full of friends who loved her and wanted to protect her. Especially Stiles, and very especially Boyd. He took Erica out to lunch every day, and out to dinner several nights a week. They were becoming close friends, and that made Stiles very happy. He knew instinctively that Boyd was the best person for Erica.

The bookshop needed a replacement for Matt, and Stiles suggested Isaac Lahey, the barista at the Coffee Klatch. Scott and Lydia were ok with that idea, as Isaac was looking for a better paying job, and they could always find college students who needed part time jobs to work in the coffee shop. So Isaac became the new salesperson at the bookshop. He took to the job right away, and in a short time became a really good book salesperson.

One day Stiles walked up to Derek and asked if he had a moment. They walked back to the office and shut the door. Stiles spoke up.  
“Derek, I’d like to say that I admire the way that you stood up for Erica against that horrible Kate and Matt.” Derek seemed surprised.  
“Thank you, Stiles”, he said. “I admire the way that you have been there for Erica when she needed you. You are a good friend.”  
“Thank you, Derek”, Stiles replied. “Well, that’s all I wanted to say. I’d better get back to work.”  
“Ok”, Derek said. “Me too.”  
As they walked out the door, Stiles thought, ‘I wish that Derek found me attractive. Oh, well’.  
And Derek thought, ‘I wish that Stiles found me attractive. If wishes just came true’.

Both Stiles and Derek were becoming closer to their internet friends. They called each other ‘Dear Friend’ What Stiles didn’t know was that his ‘Dear Friend’ was Derek, and what Derek didn’t know was that his ‘Dear Friend’ was Stiles. They finally decided to arrange a date to meet each other in person. They were going to meet at the Café Royale the next evening. Stiles would carry a book and a rose, so that ‘Dear Friend’ would recognize him.

The next evening, Stiles arrived at the Café Royale at exactly 7 P.M. He was carrying a copy of ‘I Am the Wolf’ with a rose in it so that ‘Dear Friend’ would be able to identify him. The waiter seated him at a table, and he waited for ‘Dear Friend’ to arrive.

Derek arrived at the Café Royale and saw Stiles with the book and the rose. He was shocked to realize that Stiles was his date. He approached Stiles’ table.  
“Hello, Stiles”, Derek said.  
“Derek!”, Stiles replied. “What are you doing here? You have to leave, right away. I’m expecting someone important any minute!”  
“Let me explain, Stiles”, Derek said. “You see, I’m ‘Dea…..”  
“No, Derek!”, Stiles replied. “You have to leave, right now!”  
“But Stiles…..”, Derek tried to explain.  
“Derek, whatever it is you want to tell me can wait until tomorrow at the bookshop”, Stiles replied. “Now please leave!”  
Derek sighed.  
“Ok, Stiles”, he said. “You win. I’ll leave. But tomorrow, when I explain, you will be very sorry that you made me leave.” Derek got up from the table and left the café.

Stiles sat in the café, waiting for his internet date to arrive. But the time dragged on with no sign of ‘Dear Friend‘, showing up. The waiter told him that the restaurant would be closing in fifteen minutes. Stiles felt depressed and rejected. He thought about his situation.

The flowers, the linen, the crystal I see  
Were carefully chosen for people like me  
The silver agleam and the candles aglow  
Your favorite songs on request

Each colorful touch in the finest of taste  
And notice how subtly the tables are spaced  
The music is muted, the lighting is low  
No wonder I feel so depressed

Charming, romantic, the perfect cafe  
Then as if it isn't bad enough, a violin starts to play  
Candles and wine, table for two  
But where are you, dear friend?

Couples go past me  
I see how they look  
So discreetly sympathetic  
When they see the rose and the book

I make believe nothing is wrong  
How long can I pretend?  
Please make it right, don't break my heart  
Don't let it end, dear friend

I make believe nothing is wrong  
How long can I pretend?  
Please make it right, don't break my heart  
Don't let it end, dear friend

The restaurant was closing. Stiles sadly picked up the book and the rose, got up from the table, and left the restaurant.

What will happen next to our friends from the bookshop? Will Jackson and Liam find the courage to express their feelings of love to each other? Will Erica and Boyd become more than just friends? And will Stiles and Derek ever find their ‘Dear Friend’?  
We shall see…..

 

(Next chapter: Dear Friend)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lyrics/song texts are property and copyright of their owners and provided for educational purposes only.


	3. Dear Friend

The next morning, Jackson told Derek that Stiles had called in sick. Derek was worried, and told Jackson that he was going to see if Stiles was ok. He left the bookshop, made a stop and bought something , then showed up at Stiles’ apartment. He knocked on the door, and heard footsteps coming. Stiles opened the door and stood staring at Derek with an amazed look on his face.  
“What are you doing here, Derek?”, Stiles asked.  
“I just wanted to see if you were ok”, Derek replied. “Do you need anything?”  
“No”, Stiles said, standing in the door with a small frown on his face.  
“May I come in, then?”, Derek asked.  
“I guess so”, Stiles replied, stepping aside and letting Derek come into the apartment. Stiles was wearing Batman pajamas, which Derek found absolutely adorable. Stiles looked at Derek suspiciously.  
“Why are you here, Derek?”, he asked. “Are you checking up on me? To see if I’m really sick?”  
“No, of course not”, Derek replied. “I’m just concerned about you. Do you have any temperature?”  
“A little”, Stiles said.  
“May I feel your forehead?”, Derek asked.  
“I guess so”, Stiles replied. Derek felt Stiles’ forehead. Both of them felt their hearts beat faster.  
“You do have a little temperature”, Derek said. “You should rest in bed for a couple of days.” Stiles looked surprised at Derek’s concern.  
“Ok”, he said. “I’ll do that.”  
“I brought you something to make you feel better”, Derek said, holding up a paper sack. Stiles opened it.  
“Ice cream!”, he said in surprise. “Vanilla ice cream! Thank you, Derek!” He smiled. Derek smiled back.  
“You like vanilla ice cream”, he said.  
“I love it!”, Stiles replied. “It’s my favorite flavor!”  
“I know”, Derek said. “Scott told me.” Stiles looked surprised.  
“You asked Scott?”, he said.  
“Yes”, Derek replied. “Right before I came over here.”  
“Oh!”, Stiles said, looking at Derek in amazement again. “Ok.” They looked at each other for a moment.  
“I guess I’ll go then”, Derek said. He started walking toward the door.  
“Wait a minute, Derek”, Stiles said. “I want to ask you something.” Derek turned back and waited.  
“When you were at the restaurant last night, did you see a man looking around, as if he were looking for somebody?” Derek smiled.  
“No Stiles, I didn’t”, Derek said.  
“The waiter told me that there was a man who was looking for someone, but he had another appointment, and couldn’t wait”, Stiles replied. “The waiter told me that he was middle aged, fat, and bald.” Stiles looked disappointed as he said it.  
“Sorry, Stiles”, Derek replied. “I didn’t see anybody.”  
“Ok’, Stiles sighed. “Oh, what were you trying to tell me last night? You said that it was important.” Derek smiled again.  
“It is important, Stiles”, he said softly. “But it can wait until you are feeling better. I don’t want to make your temperature any worse.” Stiles looked puzzled.  
“Ok, then”, he replied. “You can tell me later.” Stiles opened the door for Derek.  
“Thanks for your concern”, he said. “I appreciate it. And thanks for the ice cream!”  
“You’re welcome”, Derek replied. “I hope that you feel better soon.”  
He leaned over and hugged Stiles. There was a moment of shocked surprise from Stiles, then he smiled and hugged Derek back.  
“See you later”, Derek said.  
“Yes”, Stiles replied. “See you later.”  
Stiles went into the kitchen and dished up a big bowl of ice cream. As he took the first bite he murmured, “Yum!”

He had been feeling so blue, and Derek had brought him ice cream! Ice cream! And Derek had asked him how he had felt! He had actually been KIND to him. Stiles couldn’t figure it out. Could it possibly be that Derek was….‘Dear Friend’?????…..No. That wasn’t possible! But then, why had he been so nice? And why had he brought him ice cream? Stiles couldn’t figure it out.  
So instead, he decided to write a letter to “Dear Friend”.

Stiles: (writing on his iPad)  
Dear Friend…..  
I am so sorry about last night, it was a nightmare in every way,  
but together you and I, will laugh at last night someday..…

(spoken)  
Ice cream. He brought me ice cream!  
Vanilla Ice cream! Imagine that!  
Ice cream, and for the first time, we were together without a spat!  
Friendly, he was so friendly, that isn't like him; I'm simply stunned.  
Will wonders never cease? Will wonders never cease?  
It's been a most peculiar day!  
Will wonders never cease? Will wonders never cease?..…

(spoken) Oh, where was I?

(writing)  
I am so sorry about last night,  
it was a nightmare in every way,  
but together you and I, will laugh at last night someday!  
I sat there waiting in that café, and never guessing that you were fat...UGH!  
That you were near,  
You were outside looking bald...Oh my!

(writing)  
Dear Friend,  
I am so sorry about last night..…

(spoken)  
Last night I was so nasty!  
Well, he deserved it but even so,  
That Der is not like this Der, this is a new Der that I don't know.

Somehow it all reminds me, of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,  
For right before my eyes, a man that I despise, has turned into a man I LIKE!  
It's almost like a dream, as strange as it may seem.….  
He came to offer me…..Vanilla ICE CREAM!

…..Later that day, at the bookshop…..

Boyd and Erica were leaving for the day. After they reached the sidewalk, Boyd held Erica’s hand. They held each other and kissed. Erica looked at Boyd.  
“I’m ready, Boyd”, she said. “I’m ready to make love with you.”  
“Oh, Erica”, he replied. “I’ve been so ready for so long!”  
They walked together to Boyd’s apartment. They went into his bedroom, took off their clothes, got into bed, and made love. Afterwards they held each other and kissed again.  
“I love you, Boyd!”, Erica said happily. “I love you!”  
“I love you too, Erica!”, Boyd replied, gazing at her sweetly. “I love you so much!”

Right before the bookshop closed, Jackson went back to the stockroom to help Liam finish unloading a shipment of books. They finished unloading them, then stood looking at each other.  
“Jackson?”, Liam said.  
“Liam?”, Jackson replied. They reached for each other and began kissing passionately.  
“I love you, Jackson!”, Liam said.  
“I love you too, Liam”, Jackson replied. They kissed again.  
They left the bookshop and drove in Jackson’s car to his house. When they got to Jackson’s bedroom they undressed, then fell into bed. They made sweet, tender love, then held each other close, kissing and looking deeply into each other’s eyes.  
“Will you be mine?”, Liam asked.  
“Yes, baby”, Jackson replied. “Will you be mine?”  
“Yes, my love”, Liam said. They kissed again.

…..The next day…..

Stiles was well again, and he had returned to work. He and Derek were on friendly terms for the first time since they had known each other. The day passed pleasantly, and they even laughed together at one of Isaac’s jokes. Derek decided to wait until after work to tell Stiles that he was ‘Dear Friend’. He was a little apprehensive about Stiles’ reaction when he told him. He hoped that it would be a good reaction.

They had just closed the bookshop down for the night, and Stiles and Derek were walking out together. They looked at each other for a moment.  
“Goodnight, Stiles”, Derek said.  
“Goodnight, Derek”, Stiles replied. They looked at each other again.  
“Is there something you wanted to ask…..” Derek said.  
“There’s something I wanted to ask…..”, Stiles said.  
They looked at each other again.  
“Oh, I guess not”, Stiles said. “Goodnight.” He turned away.  
Derek turned on his iPad and held it up toward Stiles. He said,  
“I am so sorry about last night, it was a nightmare in every way,  
but together you and I, will laugh at last night someday.…”  
Stiles turned around and looked at Derek and the iPad with a happy look on his face. His lips were trembling.  
STILES:  
“Dear…..Friend, it’s really true then.  
It’s what I hoped for, that it was you.”  
DEREK:  
“Dear Friend, I had to tell you.  
I couldn’t stand it, until you knew.”  
STILES:  
“Oh, Der, I was so anxious.  
I was so frightened, you wouldn’t care.”  
DEREK:  
“Two days, I went for two days.  
I was so frightened, I didn’t dare.”  
DEREK  
“I wanted you to know…..”  
STILES:  
“I prayed that it was you…..”  
DEREK:  
“I thought you might have guessed…..”  
STILES:  
“To tell the truth…..”  
BOTH:  
“I couldn’t wait another day!”

They both dropped their backpacks on the ground and rushed into each other’s arms.  
They kissed over and over.  
“Stiles!”, Derek said.  
“Derek!”, Stiles replied.  
They grabbed their backpacks and walked to Derek’s apartment with their arms around each other.  
They stood together in Derek’s bedroom, holding and kissing each other. They tenderly removed each other’s clothes. They looked at each other, breathing hard. Then they fell into bed, kissing each other over and over. They made love, tenderly, sweetly, and passionately. Afterwards they held each other closely and kissed again. They looked deeply into each other’s eyes.  
“I’ve been wanting you, Stiles”, Derek said. “Ever since the first day that I saw you, I’ve been wanting you. But I didn’t think that you wanted me.”  
“And I’ve been wanting you, Derek”, Stiles replied. “Ever since the first day that I saw you, I‘ve been wanting you. But I didn’t think that you wanted me.”  
“I love you, sweetheart”, Derek said.  
“I love you too, darling”, Stiles replied.  
They held each other and kissed, whispering endearments to each other. Then they fell asleep in each other’s arms.

…..Epilogue…..

A year later, Jackson sold the bookshop and bought the Café Royale. Liam joined him there as the maitre d. Stiles and Derek bought the bookshop and now they manage it together, with salespersons Erica, Boyd, Isaac, new salesperson Jordan Parrish, and new delivery and stock man Mason Hewitt. Stiles and Derek also arranged with Scott and Lydia to have a doorway put through to their coffee shop, The Coffee Klatch. Now customers of both shops could enjoy coffee and books in one location.

And then came the weddings. First, Stiles and Derek. Then, Erica and Boyd. Then, Jackson and Liam.

Stiles and Derek bought an old Victorian house on a lake, and restored it.  
Every morning they wake up, naked and tangled together, the sunlight streaming onto their bed.  
They kiss each other sweetly and tenderly.  
“Good morning, Dear Friend”, Derek says. “I love you!”  
“Good morning, Dear Friend”, Stiles replies “I love you, too!”

**Author's Note:**

> Lyrics/song texts are property and copyright of their owners and provided for educational purposes only.
> 
> I hope that everyone enjoyed my little story.
> 
> LoveStiles (James S. MC.)


End file.
